Starting pitching is still on the Phillies' wish list
Starting pitching is still on the Phillies' wish list, even if it's no longer the top priority with Nola back in the fold.
Despite Dombrowski's insistence that the rotation is set for 2024, there's no way the Phillies are finished tinkering. Sure, they could go into next season with the same five with whom they finished the year. But don't think for a second that the Phillies' dynamic front office duo wouldn't jump at the chance to upgrade the starting five if such an opportunity were to present itself.
We've already written about the main players in the free agent starting pitcher sweepstakes. There's the highly-coveted Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his less expensive fellow countryman Shōta Imanaga. There are the obvious options like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, although those now seem unlikely. And there are the sleeper options, like Eduardo Rodriguez, Lucas Giolito, and Marcus Stroman.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Disappearing 90mph Splitter. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/4P1Nm56ixe
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 21, 2023
If the Phillies can improve their rotation via trade, the primary names that have been bandied about include the Guardians' Shane Bieber, the Rays' Tyler Glasnow, and Dylan Cease of the White Sox. The payroll-shedding Milwaukee Brewers may move Corbin Burnes, but that seems out of the Phillies' stratosphere for one year of the ace's services.
It doesn't seem like the Phillies will make a big splash like they did a year ago when they inked Trea Turner to his 11-year deal, but you never can be quite sure what will happen at the Winter Meetings. You can guarantee, however, that there will be plenty more speculation and rumors until we get actual news about the deals going down in Nashville next week.